Home » 264 / 6.5 mm » 6.5 Creedmoor » Hornady American Gunner 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr BTHP

Hornady American Gunner 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr BTHP

0

Ammo Reports Team 4 6.5 Creedmoor

SaveSavedRemoved 0

At a Glance

Official Specs

All data verified against Hornady’s official ballistics chart (two independent PDF sources) and multiple established retailers.

Data verification: MV (2,690 fps), ME (2,249 ft-lbs), and complete velocity table confirmed from Hornady’s standard ballistics chart PDF. BC (0.580) confirmed across four independent retailers. All figures internally consistent: 140 × 2,690² ÷ 450,400 = 2,249 ft-lbs ✓.

50-round box note: American Gunner 6.5 CM is packaged in 50-round boxes — double the standard 20-round hunting load. This makes the per-round cost ($1.50–1.60) the most competitive in the Hornady 6.5 CM lineup.

Ballistics Table

From Hornady’s official ballistics chart (velocity data, 24″ barrel, SKU 81482). Zero: 100 yards. Sight height: 1.5″.

Key takeaway: at 2,690 fps with BC 0.580 this load occupies solid mid-tier match performance — slower than Hornady Match ELD-M (2,710 fps, BC 0.646) but with a higher BC than Sierra MatchKing-based loads at comparable or lower prices. At 500 yards 1,209 ft-lbs and 75.1 inches of drop. The standout is $1.50–1.60/round in 50-round boxes — the best price per round in the Hornady 6.5 CM lineup by a wide margin, making it the natural choice for high-volume practice and local competition.

American Gunner — Hornady’s Value Tier

Hornady American Gunner is positioned as Hornady’s affordable, versatile line — described as “tried-and-true loads popular for target shooting, hunting, or self-defense.” For 6.5 Creedmoor, the 140 gr BTHP Match is loaded with a match-grade hollow point bullet at a price point below the premium Match and Precision Hunter lines:

The BTHP Match bullet’s BC 0.580 is meaningfully higher than a standard HPBT hunting bullet (0.410–0.490) but below the ELD-M (0.646). For practice sessions and local matches where burning 50–100 rounds is normal, American Gunner’s price advantage is significant.

Best Uses

Good fit:

• High-volume range practice for 6.5 CM shooters — 50-round boxes at $1.55/round make this the most economical Hornady 6.5 CM option for zeroing, load development, and trigger time
• Local precision rifle matches (club-level PRS, NRL) where the competitive cost enables heavier volume use
• Shooters who want Hornady quality and brass at a practice-tier price
• Reloaders who want a reliable source of once-fired Hornady brass in 6.5 CM
• Hunters who use this to practice their dope before a hunting trip (match the trajectory profile to their hunting load)

Not the right tool for:

• Top-tier PRS or NRL competition where the ELD-M’s higher BC (0.646) and Hornady Match’s loading standards provide a meaningful accuracy advantage
• Hunting — BTHP Match is not designed for terminal expansion on game; use Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X for hunting
• Self-defense — not designed or rated for it

Reliability Notes

No structured submissions yet.

General notes:

• The BTHP Match bullet in American Gunner is the same class of hollow point boat-tail used in Hornady’s legacy Match line before the ELD-M replaced it — it has an extensive competition and practice record in 6.5 CM
• BC 0.580 is confirmed consistent across multiple retailers and is internally plausible for a 140 gr BTHP at this velocity — higher than traditional HPBT designs due to the match-optimized ogive
• American Gunner uses Hornady’s standard quality brass (not the tighter-tolerance Match-grade brass selection) and matched propellant — adequate for the accuracy standard this line targets
• The 50-round box makes lot-to-lot consistency especially easy to track — 50 rounds from a single production lot for a zeroing session or match day

Competitors

PPU Supreme is the key comparison: PPU Supreme (Sierra MatchKing, BC 0.617) runs at the same or slightly lower per-round cost in 20-round boxes. For shooters who specifically want 50-round packs, American Gunner is the best option. For per-round value without 50-round packaging, PPU Supreme offers a higher BC at comparable cost.

Price Reality

• Per-round cost: ~$1.50–1.60/round in 50-round box — lowest per-round price in the Hornady 6.5 CM lineup
• vs. Hornady Match ELD-M: American Gunner runs $0.45–0.65/round less — for 200 rounds of practice, that’s $90–130 savings
• vs. PPU Supreme: comparable per-round pricing, but PPU comes in 20-round boxes (less convenient for volume sessions) and has a higher BC (0.617 vs 0.580)
• The 50-round box advantage: for range days, zeroing sessions, or club matches where you shoot 3–5 boxes, 50-round packs reduce the number of boxes to handle and cost less per round
• Fair price benchmark: under $78/box of 50 is competitive; above $85/box strains the value argument against PPU Supreme in 20-round boxes

Where to Buy

Affiliate links. These do not influence ratings, data, or any editorial content on this page.

• MidwayUSA
• Brownells
• Palmetto State Armory
• Natchez Shooters Supplies

FAQ

Why does American Gunner come in 50-round boxes instead of 20?

Hornady packages American Gunner rifle ammunition in 50-round boxes to match the buying pattern of their target customer — a shooter who goes through more rounds per session than a hunter. A 20-round box is practical for a hunting trip; a 50-round box is practical for a range day or club match. The per-round cost is lower in the 50-round format, which reinforces the value positioning. For casual or infrequent shooters a 50-round box may be more than they need in one session, but the economics favor buying by the box regardless.

BTHP vs ELD-M — what’s the difference and does it matter for practice?

The BTHP (Boat-Tail Hollow Point) is Hornady’s legacy match bullet design — accurate and proven, with BC 0.580. The ELD-M uses Hornady’s Heat Shield tip which maintains meplat consistency at high velocity (unlike standard polymer tips that can deform in flight), producing BC 0.646 and measurably better long-range performance. For practice inside 400 yards, the BC difference between 0.580 and 0.646 produces less than 2 inches of additional drop — not practically meaningful for most shooters. For competition at 500–1,000 yards, the ELD-M’s advantage grows. For everyday practice and club-level matches, BTHP is sufficient.

Can I use American Gunner for deer or elk hunting?

No — BTHP Match bullets are not designed for terminal expansion on game. The hollow point is a manufacturing precision feature for concentricity, not an expansion mechanism for hunting. For hunting in 6.5 CM, Hornady makes the Precision Hunter line with the ELD-X bullet (expanding, designed for deer through elk) and the Outfitter line with CX (lead-free). Using match bullets for hunting is not recommended.

Is the BC 0.580 accurate — some sources say 0.617?

BC 0.580 is confirmed for the American Gunner 140 gr BTHP (SKU 81482) across multiple retailers (Palmetto State Armory, Shooting Targets USA, Starlight Tactical). The BC 0.617 figure belongs to the Sierra MatchKing 140 gr used in other loads (PPU Supreme, Federal Gold Medal, Remington Premier Match). These are different bullets. Hornady’s BTHP Match bullet has a BC of 0.580 — lower than Sierra MatchKing’s 0.617, but still competitive for a match-grade load in this price range.

Submit Your Data · Real-World Results

Manufacturer velocity figures are measured under controlled lab conditions — barrel length, temperature, and lot number all affect real-world performance. The data below comes from community submissions tied to specific test conditions and reviewed before publishing.

Once this page reaches 3 approved submissions, aggregate velocity and confidence level will appear here automatically.

Shot this load? Share your results — firearm type, barrel length, average velocity, shots fired, temperature. No account required.

ES and SD data are especially valuable for this practice/match load — include them in Notes if your chronograph captures them.

All submissions are manually reviewed before appearing on this page.

Results vary by firearm, barrel condition, ammunition lot, and environmental factors. Submitted data is for reference only. AmmoReports does not guarantee accuracy of user-submitted results.

Last updated: April 2026 · Data confidence: Low (0 submissions) · Specs verified against Hornady official ballistics chart and multiple established retailers. Velocity from 24″ test barrel.